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Friday, August 22, 2014

Celebrating - Always Something!

It's good to look for celebrations, for they are many, every single week. Thanks to Ruth Ayres, we also get to share them with others every Saturday. Check HERE for the links. And tweet at #CelebrateLu

"In our work and in our living, we must recognize that difference is a reason for celebration and growth, rather than a reason for destruction." Audre Lord I do have things to celebrate. It's been a good week for me, but I also know it's been a hard week for many others in our world. I hope that good can come from the talk, peace for those parts of the world who haven't had it in a long while. Although many of my colleagues have been in to work in offices and classrooms for several weeks, even sometimes in the summer, our beginning official day with staff was Wednesday, and it was terrific. We shared, did a few activities, but mostly we walked and talked, played and talked, and ate and talked. Here is where we were, a beautiful lake in our near foothills.

On Thursday, my grandson Carter celebrated his thirteenth birthday, and while I was not with him, I celebrated with a poem/post for him here! He, however, is at Disneyland (and other places) and having a great start to year fourteen!

Since Tuesday, I've had interesting, exhilarating, inspiring conversations with different colleagues. The only thing better will be when the students come! We've made a few plans, laughed a lot about past adventures, spoken of those yet to come. The core teachers who had conferences all day Friday, and will again on Monday are to be celebrated for their mental muscle. I know, I was one a few years ago, and while it's wonderful to have these beginning talks with parents and students, it is exhausting to do it all day.

I've written quite a lot this week, different posts, a few poems, and am continuing to work on a couple of projects I'm excited about. Within the busy week, it's something to shout "hurrah" about. And I've read too. There are such terrific books available, old and new!

Finally, I've been walking daily, and to make it more interesting, trying to notice some things that I enjoy seeing, and take a few pictures, posting on Facebook: "Morning Walk". Here is one photo I didn't post, but it was fun to spot the fungus. Although pretty, not edible, even by the bunnies I guess.

Have a terrific week to come everyone. Look for those small moments of celebration!

Thank you for sharing your journey for this week. Your opening staff retreat location is breathless. What a visual to remember when the busy days of school want to consume you. Best of luck as the year begins.

I haven't posted this morning but reading yours makes me want to. Because, yes, there is always something to celebrate. What a lovely place you were for your school retreat! Public schools don't do this. I've been enjoying your morning walk pictures. I walked this morning and took my phone along, but it was so oppressively hot that I didn't think too much about the beauty. August is the worst here.

August 'hot' days will probably return next week when the students do, we think. They will still be here for a while I know. Yes, this habit of celebration is what makes me notice so much more, Margaret. Thanks for enjoying my morning walks!

I love the recognition you have to all the suffering this week has brought for so many in our world and yet, even among the sadness, we can find celebration and joy. Have a good weekend ...and here's to a great year filled with many, many small and wonderful celebrations of learning and living.

Thank you very much, Anita. I am trying to find those small things every day to celebrate, but these past few weeks especially have been hard because of all that's been happening. Hoping your year is a good one, too!

Thanks for sharing the photo and about your morning walk. I too want to be more aware of the neat things around me. It's so nice to take a moment to appreciate the little things. Thanks for the reminder.

So fun to read of your week. I love that you had this beautiful day outside with your colleagues to kick off the school year. I missed your grandson's poem. Will have to go back to read it. Every week does have many moments of celebration! I love snapping pics on my walks too, although it sometimes annoys my walking companions.

I would never get any work done if I had to meet near that beautiful lake! What an interesting concept it is to have conferences BEFORE the school year begins. I can imagine how draining it can be, but also a great way to set the year off right. I love taking pictures on my walks too. Going back and looking at them later reminds me of all the things I've discovered this summer. Have a great week!

The conferences are a getting-to-know-you, and for goal setting, at least the preliminary ones. Also it's for a conversation with the teacher with questions answers, hopefully helping everyone to understand some of how the year is going to go. It's tough to do so many, & they are 30-45 minutes long, but yes, very helpful. I like seeing your pictures too, Jennifer. It is fun to do! Thanks!

I really value my daily walk--but skipped it several days this week to get to the office earlier. I need to do better next week. Walking in the morning sets the tone of the whole day for me. I love the habit of taking pictures on the walk. I find that I just look at the world a little differently when I'm thinking of pictures I might take. I see more things--and remember more things later. Hope you have a wonderful week at school!

I think a new word has to be invented to describe the busy beginning of the school year. I loved reading how you had a chance to play and talk with your colleagues. Because of the assessment workshop and refurnishing and unpacking the classrooms after renovations our staffed didn't have much relaxed pleasant time to spend with each other. I missed it. It became too busy too quickly. Nevertheless I share your enthusiasm for the upcoming year. It's a lot up to us what it's going to be like. Making sure to have time for people and activities that matter to us. Happy New School Year!